Tooth brush



G. E. HADDEN TOOIH BRUSH June 6, 1939.

Filed Jan. 6, 19157 Patented June 6, 1939 -UN1TED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,161,349 TOO'IH BRUSH Gilbert E. Hadden, Chicgoi m. Apjlication January s, 1937, Serial 119,328

2 Claims.

This invention relates 150 brushes particularly designed for cleaning the teeth und the object of the invention.is to provide a brush in which the bristles aresoarrariged that the teeth of the user 5'.? Will be efiectively cleaned when the scrubbing 103the gum margins of the teeth will be efiectively cleaned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toothbrush wherein the entire surfaces of the teeth including the inner surfaces as we1l as the laouter surfaceswill be efl'ectively cleaned by its It is a. we ll known faet that thefodth brushes in common use have a tendency to push the food in separate sockets. It is to be understood that a between the teeth instead of removing it; thus causing decay and the formation f pyorrhea pockets. Therefore, it is the purpose of my invention to eliminate the defects of formertooth brushes and to accomplish the afore-mentioned objects by means of the construction shown in the accompx'mying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a tooth brush embodying my inventio'n;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan of a brush head embodying my invention;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a brush head embodying my invention showing the same in use when a slight -pressure has been applied thereto;

Figure 4 is a. vertical section illustrating the 'position of the briStles when a sweeping backward and forward motion has been applied to the brush;

Figure 5 is a section illustrating the position 0f the bristles when an up and down motion has been applied to the brush; and

' Figure 6 is a. perspective 015 a. group of bristle tufts embodying myinvention secured in a single socket.

On the drawing, in which like reference characters indicate like parts on the views thereof, I indicates the brush handle herein shown as provided With two brush heads 2 which are laterally ofiset and also curved outwardly away from the handle, as is shown a1; 3 and 4, Figures 1 and 2, for a purpose which will later appear.

In Figure 2, I have shown the brush head as provided wlth three groups of brisble tufts 5, shown therein a.s consisting of six tufts each secured single group of tufts would be suflicient for a small brush, or a greater number than three groups might be empl0yed if desired. Likewise, the number of tufts constituting a group might be greater er lass than six without departing from the spirit of my invention.

As is shown in the drawing, the free outer face of a tuftgroupis so'formed tha.t 11: provides a cavity 6 which is substantially the form of an inverteid cone With the periphery of the cone base consisting of a ithin line oi bristles l, which in use'enter the interproximal spaces and remove any food particles which may have lodged there.

In Figure 3 I haveshown the position of the bristles when applied to the teeth, the teeth T being illusttated diagramm'atically, and a slight pressure exerted; it will be seen that-the cavity in the biistle' tuft g roup is of such form that the bristles will bear against substantially the entire outer surface of the teeth with the peripheral edge of the tuft group entering the interproximal spaces, thereby forcing out any particles which may have lodged there. When a circular motion is applied to the brush, it is apparent that a thorough cleaning, not; only of the outer surface of the teeth, but of the spaces between adjacent teeth will take place.

In cleaning the outer surfaces of the teeth on the right hand side of the upper jaw, the brush is held in such position that the head extends upwardly and inwardly toward the oral cavity, the inclination cf the brush head relatively to the handle aiding materially in holding the bristles in c1ose engagement With the surface of the teeth.

Whilel have shown the bristles a.s applied to the outer surfaces of the teeth, it is apparent that a thorough cleaning cf the inner surfaces of the teeth will take place when the brush is applied thereto.

The various positions in which the brush can be he1d and the inclination of the brush head 110 the handle facilitate its use, as is readily apparent, and the efiectiveness of the the cleaning action is partly due to the fact that it may be readily positioned to reach the teeth which are not readi1y accessible for cleaning by the ordinary type of brush now in common use. The fact that the brush heads are offset from the handle is of advantage since, when in use, the handle will tend to hold the cheek away from the teeth and thus facilitate cleaning.

In Figure 4 I ha.ve shown the action of the bristles when the brush hea.d is given the ordinary back and forth sweeping motion for cleaning the teeth. It will be seen that during such a motion the parts 9 of the bristles are forced into the inbristles When an up and down action is applied;

t the brush head. When moving downward to clean the teeth of the upper jaw the part marked H) willbe pushed back and spread. while the part II effects a sweeping action, thus clea.n- 1'ng the gum margins. When the direction of motion is reversed, that is when an upward. mo

tion is applied to the brush head to clean the teeth in the lower jaw, the action of the bristles parts II] and I I will be reversed but the cleaning result will be the same.

Since the three motions of the brush employed by persons in brushing their teethare the circular motion, the backward and forward motion and the upward a n d downward motion, it is armarent that my bru sh is so constructed that, under all conditions of use, the'teeth will be effectively cleaned and all debris removed from the interproximal spaces and from the gingival or free marginal spacesof the gum.

I1; is tobe noted that while in Figure 2 the bristle tuf1zs are showr; as secured in separate sockets, in Figure 6 and sectional views they are all shown as secured in a Single socket, it being understood that the sameresult is obtained in both cases. V

I1; is likewise to be pnc1erstood that while I have illustrated a, brush having two brush heads, my invention is equally applicable to a brush employing on1y one brush head.

I am aware that brushes have previously been designed wherein the center of the bristle tuft is shorter than the outer edges but these bristle claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pater'1t is:

l. An implement for cleaning the tooth 013 a human being comprising a, brush head having a group of bristles secured thereto, the free end of said bristle group being recessed to form a cone shaped cavity the all of which is substantia1ly coritinuous and of substantially the size and shape of one face of a Single tooth the periphery of the base f the cone being constituted by a thin 'line of bristles to engage the base of the tooth anal to extend into th e adjacent interproximal spaces.

2. An implement for cleaning the teeth cf a human being comprising abrush head having a plurality of separated groups of bristle tufts secured thereto, each of seid groups, 0f tufts having its unsecured end recessed to form a cone shaped cavity of a size and. shape to conform subv stantially t0 anal engage one entire face only of a tooth to be cle-ned, the periphery of the base 0f Ehe c0ne being constituted by a thin 1ine of bristles so. engage the base of thetooth and to extend into adjacent interproximal spaces.

GILBERTE. I-IADDEN. 

